The July episode of the Eldenwood Craft Knitting Podcast brings you hand knit socks, a lace weight wrap and a crochet hat. There was also a little book talk, a look at what I'm going to be making next and a sneak peek of some project bags coming to the next shop update. So let's have a look in a bit more detail. I've provided links to yarn dyers, patterns, podcasts etc and you can also have a look at my project pages on Ravelry for any further information (for some of the projects at least). And for those reading who struggle with Ravelry accessibility I can confirm that none of the links below take you to Ravelry.
Finished objects
Striped Socks
It seems I have a thing for striped socks at the moment. Anyone else? This particular pair I am very happy with indeed. Just a pair of shorty socks knit to my own sock recipe, casting on 60 stitches, a simple 1 x 1 rib, a tiny bit of knitting for the leg, a heel flap and gusset and then straight knitting down to the toe which is a traditional wedge toe. They couldn't be simpler and I couldn't be any happier with them.
The yarn used is from Blue Fern Yarns and is one of their monthly palette packs (January I think but it may be February) which are five mini skeins dyed to represent an image chosen by Shannon the dyer. I usually knit about 80 rounds from the heel turn to the beginning of the toe - I'm a UK size six - and I worked out the number of rounds each colour needed to be to get them nice and even, and I'm pleased to say I got it spot on.
For the heel turn, which you can just about see in the photo above, I knit a Dutch Heel - also known as a square heel. I'd not done this before and I like the boxy effect it gave to the heel. It's a simple heel turn to do and there are lots of tutorials on the internet if you're interested in giving it a go.
Rose City Rollers, the Sherry Iris version
I seem to remember I had two finished pairs of socks in my last episode as I did in this. My second pair is my favourite sock to knit - a Rose City Roller which is a pattern by Mara Catherine Bryner. These are such simple socks to knit and perfect for a beginner as you don't need to worry about knitting a ribbed cuff, you just go straight into knitting round and round which is what creates the rolled cuff. I like the way these look in trainers - very cute with the cuff just peeking out the top.
The yarn for this pair of socks is a beautiful skein of pinks and blues from one of my favourite dyers, Sherry Iris Yarns. This was a skein I purchased maybe a couple of years ago as part of a charity collaboration and I'd been saving it as a special yarn. But this year I'm throwing caution to the wind and starting to knit through that growing collection of special yarns.
You can see from the photo that there has been a little bit of pooling with these socks. This is usually something I'm not too keen on but the more I look at them I'm beginning not to mind the effect on these socks. I did wonder if the pooling may have been brought about because of the needles I used. Instead of using 2.25mm DPNs which is how I usually knit socks, this time I thought I'd revisit the 9" short circular needles I found whilst having a rummage in my needle drawer recently. I used to knit all my socks with these but I will admit to not particularly enjoying the process this time around. I used the Addi Sockwunders which have two different length needles to help with the comfort factor and while I didn't find them too challenging to use, I didn't enjoy the small circumference and how the needles felt in my hands. These needles also don't come in a 2.25mm size - no idea why - and so I had to use 2.5mm and I wasn't overly keen on the fabric that this created.
So the upshot is, I love the yarn, have got used to the pooling, not mad keen on the sock fabric due to using 2.5mm needles and don't think I'll be back using the short circulars any time soon.
Works in Progress
Rose City Rollers - the Little Grey Girl version
I do like a Rose City Roller and even better when it's striped! I won't go on at length about these because I've spoken a lot about this pattern already. The yarn however is glorious. It's from The Little Grey Girl and is a high twist super wash merino / nylon in the colourway Mesa. I bought a 50g skein with a 20g co-ordinating mini (the yellow) from Gemma's very first yarn update and it's knitting up really beautifully. Plus I'm back to using my favourite 2.25mm wooden DPNs - hoorah.
On the podcast I was about half way through both socks (knitting concurrently). By the time I'm writing these notes up I have finished the pair and I'll show them off to you in the next episode. But here's a quick picture.
Halcyon Bucket Hat
This was very much a surprise new project for me. A few weeks ago in the UK we had a bit of a heatwave. I have a bigger head than average and for years I have struggled to find a sun hat that's not a baseball cap. And as I was hiding from the sun under our garden parasol I had that thought that makers have from time to time - I can make myself a sun hat. So I found myself down a deep rabbit hole of crochet hat patterns, eventually opting for the Halcyon Bucket Hat by Jess Copper of the Make and Do Crew.
The yarn I chose was an aran weight cotton from Scheepjes. It's Cahlista in the colour ways linen, deep ocean green and ginger gold and you get 85m to each 50g ball. I bought it from Wool Warehouse but I'm sure it's available in other places.
The pattern calls for a 5.5mm crochet hook and gives you places during the pattern to measure your gauge. I had to rip back my hat twice and go down two hook sizes before finally reaching a size that wasn't ridiculously big on me. I guess I'm a loose crocheter!
The hat is made in three sections. You make the top first, then a bunch of granny squares which you then join together with a nifty joining method. The brim is then added and finally you join the top to the rest of the hat. I've still to do that last bit and I need to get a move on with it because we're about to have another hot spell and I'd love to finally have a sun hat to wear.
I'm not a natural crocheter. I find it hard to read my stitches, and I'm sure I fudged a few elements of this pattern. However I enjoyed the process, the pattern was straightforward and I like the colours of cotton I've chosen. And I've now bought myself a second hat pattern from the same designer so I may end up having two summer hats before too long!
Lanes Wrap
I shared this project for the first time in the last episode (39) and it had been the main focus of my knitting between that episode and this due to the deadline that I have to finish it.
The pattern is from Julie Hoover and I'm using John Arbon Alpaca Supreme Laceweight Yarn in the colourway Azurite.
The pattern is a two row repeat and calls for over 600 rows of knitting. Some knitters would not enjoy that repetition and would probably get quite bored during the making of the wrap, however I am really enjoying both the process and the fabric that is being created.
The yarn is gorgeous, has the most beautiful drape when knit up and has a lovely halo reminiscent of mohair / suri silk alpaca yarns but without the shedding which is a big plus point for me. The pattern is unfussy, elegant and modern which are exactly the elements I was looking for when choosing a wrap to make.
I couldn't speak more highly about all aspects of this project. I'm just over half way through and I have about two months in which to finish it before whisking it off overseas to attend a family wedding. I'll definitely finish it, but I really need to go and wind the next skein of yarn up so I can carry on with the knitting!
Future Knitting
I shared two projects that I am planning on casting on next. The first was the Yume sweater by Isabell Kramer which was kindly given to me as a gift from a lovely friend. I have bought the yarn for this project and as I said in the video it will come as no surprise to anyone that I have chosen to use Drops Nord. My best guess is that this will be cast on in September so keep an eye out later in the year for this project.
The other project I want to make is the Slip Stripe Shorties socks by Tracie Millar. These are appropriately named because you use slip stitches and two different colours of yarn to create a pretty striping pattern. I was really taken by these when I saw them on Instagram and bought the pattern straight away. Now that my Little Grey Girl socks are finished, these will be the next socks on my needles.
And we also talked about...
I finished the podcast with some book talk and some shop talk.
I shared the books that I had been reading since episode 39 and what I was going to read next.
The book that I had finished was American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. It was a really good, heart in the mouth adventure tale about a mother and her son and their flight from the threats of a Mexican drug cartel. The pace kept up throughout most of the book although I did find the ending a little off pace. But this didn't deter me from finishing and continuing to think about it a few weeks after finishing. It's a book I'd recommend.
I'm now reading Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier. This is a classic that many if not most of you will know about and have read. I read Rebecca many years ago and had always planned on reading more by this author. Having got sucked into the world of Mary Yellan and her terrible uncle, the landlord at the Jamaica Inn, I will most definitely be back for more Du Maurier in the future. I have no idea how this one is going to finish and I can't wait to find out.
Finally, I shared some of the project bags that are coming to my next shop update in August. The update goes live on 11th August for newsletter subscribers and 24 hours later for everyone else.
If you'd like to watch episode 40 you can catch it here. I have the next episode diarised already and there'll be a journal entry like this one to follow.
Thanks for reading and have a good few weeks crafting!